It sounded like an accident. Sandy Wakefield, Flint's uncle, had died in a mining mishap. A short fuse or mistake was the cause, according to both the town marshal and the mine owner. However, after Flint and his younger brother, Johnny, pay their respects, they begin to suspect foul play.
Sandy was trying to improve conditions for the miners, who are treated little better than slaves, working long hours at dangerous jobs for pay that barely keeps them alive. Then Flint and his brother discover the stripped body of an unknown man along the trail. When they seek to learn his identity, life above ground gets as dangerous as below. In the end, Flint will have to die before they can learn the truth!